> Spindle speeds, horsepower, and weight (something heavy enough to allow > it to soak up the vibration, but suitalbe size for a small shop) > > Bill Years ago, when the Earth was young, I bought a new (then) Rockwell 32" radial. I went for versatility over power, mass, and precision. Given the same choices today that I had then, I'd buy the same drill press (but a different table saw). Since then, Rockwell became Delta, and they let the radial press die. Grizzley makes one that looks to be a pretty decent machine at a reasonable price, and I've seen another radial advertised who's name I don't remember. Oh yes. Somewhere along the line, I swapped the 1/3hp OEM motor for a 1/2hp, which will do pretty much anything I need to do. Jim Busby has a fairly new radial he made a nice pinblock drilling rig with. What's the brand, Jim? You don't generally need molecular level accuracy in the shop, or a wide choice of rpm ranges to poke holes in piano things. If you need high precision, double drill. I'd recommend a radial like this for almost anything you will be called upon to do in a piano shop, and a lot of things more cautious (sensible) folks wouldn't try. If you plan on boring a lot of hammers, I'd recommend a second small tight dedicated press you can mount in a corner somewhere. I'd like a milling machine too, naturally, but that requires floor space and a juicy enough rationalization to spend the cash. Ron N
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